10.2190/6A5T-3QTW-8G2K-4FY5 6A5T3QTW8G2K4FY5 0 PURCHASING POWER AND ECONOMIC PACKAGES IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR NEGOTIATIONS 20020509 20020509 20020509 20020509 http://baywood.metapress.com/link.asp?target=contribution&id=6A5T3QTW8G2K4FY5 3 KATHLEENM. RASSULI, DAVID A. DILTS, AND ALI RASSULI Of the three major institutional wage standards, comparability, ability to pay and cost/standard of living, the latter may be the most difficult to apply and the most controversial. This article examines the cost/standard of living criteria used in negotiations and applied by arbitrators. There are significant data limitations that have implications for both negotiators and arbitrators.